Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-12

an examiner in the United States District
Court, Judge Hoffman's, at loan.
Joshua Norris, who was upon the wit
ness stand at the close of the session on
Saturday, resumed giving his testimony.
He said he worked on the Skehan mine at
Lowell Hill in 1862 At that time the tun-
mel was in 600 feet was seven feet in hight
and seven feet wide Worked there for two
years. The mine was at that time well
developed, and contained a well-defined
gravel deposit. This work was being done
on section L. He also worked in the
Golden Bull tunnel on section 10 seven or
eight years ago. The air-shaft to the
Golden Bull tunnel is on section Z. The
last time was employed in Golden Bull was
in 1880. During the two years he worked
in the Lowell Hill mine he assisted in the
clean-ups, which paid very WELL The tun-
mel was well timbered, as were also the
drifts, which extended south some IS feet.
He said the gravel deposit extended IN a
northeasterly and southeasterly direction
In vain did General Carey try to have wit
ness change it to northeasterly and south
| westerly. He gave minute description of
the mine, but said he did not know the
value of the Improvements.
On cross examination witness, in reply
! to interrogations by Senator Sargent, said
| the lead extended to the southwest outside
of section I, running into the Golden Bull,
| Swamp Angel, Little York and other mines,
| continuing in a southwesterly direction.
| Witness said the Mammoth Spring mine
| has not been worked since 1860. There is
| a small dump at the mouth of the tunnel,
of very poor gravel. He did not believe
there was any gold-bearing ground on sec
| ton between the Golden Bull and Man,
moth Spring mines. His work on the
south branch of Steep Hollow creek was
| done in 1860. In 1868 the creeks were well
| worked out, and they had been worked over
| and over again, and were completely ex-
| hausted by 1867. 1t got so that " white
men could not make grub, and so very
poor that even Cinnamon abandoned them.
| l don't know of any gold being taken out
| of section Z, except, as l have stated, in the
forks of Steep Hollow creek.
On redirect examination, witness stated
that be worked gravel deposits in section
| s, but would not say that he believed it
| extended into section I. On closer cues
tioning, he said he was of the opinion that
| it did not extend into section I. Witness
| did not seem to have the points of COM
| pass well in his mind, and was very much
confused in directions. He said he thought
| the Bear river ran from the north to the
| south. He said he believed there was
| more or less gold in section I, but it so far
| has not been prospected sufficiently to show
gold deposit of sufficient richness to Justify
| its working.
General Carey Did you not work for
| Skehan on the Galena mine in 1879?
Witness-No, sir not that l know Of
| fl1rQU-I al int
see if that is your signature
Witness was handed a receipt for coin
paid to him by Skehan for labor on the
| Galena mine in 1879.
Witness said-Yes, that is my signature,
| but l don't remember ever doing that work
| If ever | worked on the Galena mine |
| have forgotten it.
Patrick Boyle was the next witness He
| said he had resided at Remington Hill for
many years knew the location of all the
mines in that section and the boundaries
| of section I. Had been employed at diff
| ferent times as laborer in the Golden Bull
and Swamp Angel mines. Some twelve or
| fourteen years ago he visited the Lowell
| Hill nine; went there to see Mr.. Skehan
| went into the tunnel for a couple of hun
| dred feet, and also into some of the drifts.
1t was a well-defined gravel deposit, the
| channel extending, 10 the best of his opin-
ion, to the south. Also, about the same
time, visited the Mammoth Spring mine.
The gravel at the dump of this mine is
| very small. Worked on Steep Hollow
creek in 1S66-on its north fork, in section
| Z. AT that time two or three China COM
| panles were working upon the same stream.
I Prospected on the creek with Il pan and
shovel in the two succeeding years, on the
same creek, and found gold. The charac-
| ter OF the gravel in section is gold-bear-
| ing, and that section has always been re-
| garded by mining men as mineral in char
| acter. The locations of the Golden Bull,
Shanghai and Swamp Angel extend into
| section Z, although the operated portions OF
| those mines are on other sections. So far
| as witness was aware, the Golden Bull and
Swamp Angel mines were always paving
mines-at least he judged so from the fact
| that he worked there for wages and ALWAYS
| got his pay.
Cross examination - Senator Sargent
asked witness to locate the sectional cor
ners of section I. This witness could not
do with any degree of accuracy, and the
answer to. the question tended to render
much of his testimony on direct examiIa-
| ton worthless.
| Recess until 2P. NJ.
| At the afternoon session Selden Hetzel.
Register of the Sacramento Land Office
was called 10 the witness stand He was
armed with several books and large num-
Der of documents from his office While
on the stand last week he stated that q
mineral affidavit marked No. 217 could not
be found in his office. 1t was claimed by
the prosecution that this affidavit was i'm
portant evidence in this case, as it referred
directly to the land in question. Mr..
| Hetzel announced that since his return 10
Sacramento a renewed search had un-
| earthed the mysterious and MISPLACED doc
| ument. He had it with him and SAID !,
had no bearing whatever upon this ca.t.
The date OF its filing was February o. 1859.
| Witness then opened the book containing
the Sacramento series of mineral affidavits,
where he found many entries that ante
| dated the establishment OF the office at Sac
ramento. The numbers he said, did not
indicate the date cf filing. He could not
explain why or account in any way for the
ancient dates. He supposed that they had
been executed, and afterwards came in
| possession of the Office. He was new in
the business. and knew nothing personally
OF the workings of the Land Office prior TO
his taking charge of it. He explained the
value of these filings as he understood
| them. The last mineral affidavit that was
| filed in the Sacramento Office bears date of
| May s. 1880. Witness cad an affidavit
| NdNC Va CSplSiIDeI II, 1901, Cidilil-
ing that the following were mineral in
character: Sections 5, Z, s, ~ and 13.
township 16 north, range IL east. This
was filed one year and one month prior to
the opening of the Land Office at Sacra-
mento. Ii was signed by James Philips.
Alexander Rummels John Duffy, Daniel
Bnmgardner, William White and John
Regan, and sworn 10 before H. 2. Schutt.
Justice Of the Peace.
Senator Sargent objected TO the introduc-
| ton of the document, claiming that the
Marysville Office had, at the date named,
lost jurisdiction. The affidavit was not
drawn according TO law nor the rules and
regulations of the General Land Office.
! There was no certificate of character of
the Justice OF the Peace, who is an officer
without seal. His signature was not
proven. The document is vague, uncertain.
describes a general section of country with
out particular reference to section 7 or any
part of it. II is an instrument unknown
to law and unofficial in character.
| Witness resuming said he was confident
the document never had been out of the
| Sacramento Office. If it had been to Wash
| ington 1t would have had the Endorsement
OF the General Land Office upon it. Wit
ness then, in response to General Carey.
outlined how the business OF the land
Office is transacted.